A Formal Model of Peer-to-Peer Digital Product Marketplace

Abstract

Peer-to-peer (P2P) electronic commerce has become increasingly popular over the last few years. This popularity of P2P is due mainly to the many advantages it offers, such as the ease of sharing of computer resources and reducing cost. This paper uses both semi-formal and formal specification methods to model a P2P digital product marketplace. First, models are written in UML, as this is expected to be relatively easy to understand and economic. Then, the models are transformed into a formal notation, object-Z notation. A formally specified and verified model of e-commerce transactions will provide a correct, fail-safe, and robust transaction processing environment for ecommerce. By using both semi-formal and formal methods in the design of the P2P system, we can reason about and create a correct and reliable system quickly and efficiently.